The present invention relates to a crib, and more particularly to an inflatable crib affording a high level of safety.
The advantages of an inflatable crib are numerous and manifest. The deflated crib is compact and thus may be easily stored (for example, in a closet) and/or transported (for example, in a car trunk). The deflated crib is then simply removed from a closet or like storage space and easily pumped up (for example, using a foot pump) so that the visiting grandchild can be provided with a serviceable crib during the occasional visit. Similarly, during a lunch break on an all-day car trip, the deflated crib is simply removed from the car trunk and inflated to provide an enclosure for a child at a picnic location, in a restaurant or the like.
Unfortunately, the disadavantages of prior art inflatable cribs are equally numerous and manifest. Assuming that the crib defines a single inflatable chamber, it requires but a single puncture of that chamber to render the crib totally useless and permit the child to crawl or walk away from the crib. An inflatable crib is so lightweight that, if a child pulled itself upright holding on to the side of the crib and then leaned on that side of the crib, it might easily cause the crib to tip over, possibly injuring the child during the tipover and at the very least allowing the child to leave the crib once it was turned over. If unapertured, the sidewalls of the crib interfere with the free flow of fresh air to the child. If nontransparent, the sidewalls interfere with proper illumination of the crib. Most importantly, however, if the crib deflates as the result of a puncture, the deflated sidewalls of the crib could collapse inwardly so as to cover and suffocate the child within the crib.
Accordingly, it is an overall object of the present invention to provide an inflatable crib affording a variety of different safety features.
Another object is to provide such a crib having independently inflatable and deflatable vertical support columns to prevent collapse of deflated crib sidewalls on the child.
Yet another object is to provide such a crib having an anti-tipover bumper.
A further object is to provide such a crib which facilitates the flow of light and air therethrough.
It is also an object to provide such a crib which is easily inflatable and deflatable.